Just using ZCS 8.0.9 as email solution for about 60,000 users, with a big email data of 60 Tb (60,000 users * 1 Tb/user)
Solution Manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Provides good email capability; lacking in security and performance
Pros and Cons
- "Good email solution and it's open-source."
- "This is a good email solution and it's open-source which is great and the most important feature for us."
- "There are some security issues."
- "There are security and performance issues which is one of the concerns of using an open-source product."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Security & performance issues (60,000 user):
- Don't support or guide how to integrate with MFA (Multi-factor Authentication)
- Backup & Recovery for 60 Tb email data is hard (60,000 users * 1 Tb/user); no effective solution for backup & recovery for such a case.
- Don't support DLP (Data Loss Prevention) solution.
- HA (High Availability): just support at the server (VMs) layer, don't support at the service layer.
- It is hard to upgrade ZCS 8.0.9 to ZCS 8.8.15 OSE .
What is most valuable?
This is a good email solution and it's open-source which is great and the most important feature for us.
What needs improvement?
There are security & performance issues which is one of the concerns of using an open-source product.
Buyer's Guide
Zimbra Collaboration
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Zimbra Collaboration. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for 10 years.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support for the open-source version is softer than for the commercial version. If we get the commercial version we'd be happier with the technical support.
What about the implementation team?
an in-house team.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We've been evaluating other options. Microsoft Exchange is very popular in the large enterprise sector. It's more popular than G Suite or Zimbra.
What other advice do I have?
Zimbra has the open source version and also a commercial version. There's a difference in terms of security and other features between the two versions,
I rate this solution a six out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Control Department Head of Information Security at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
It is light to manage and low-cost, but lacks storage management
Pros and Cons
- "Zimbra Collaboration is light to manage. It works on the Linux operating system, which is far better to manage than Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Exchange works only on the Windows server. We prefer working on the Linux server for security reasons and ease of management. Zimbra Collaboration also has some integrated tools for security. It some modules to fight malware. These modules are not very powerful but are still doing a great job. Microsoft Exchange doesn't have a basic module. You have to purchase a security solution and add it to the solution. The cost of Zimbra Collaboration is one more reason for liking it. It is also very simple to migrate from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution."
- "For a small company, Zimbra Collaboration is good because it is simple, inexpensive, and not very difficult to deploy."
- "Zimbra must improve its solution to make it easy so that the users don't have to use webmail to connect to their accounts and log in to webmail every time. This is something that is lacking in Zimbra Collaboration. They should provide a better way to easily connect email applications on the desktop to the Zimbra server. They should also try to have more functionality for storage management, like Microsoft Exchange. Currently, the management of the email data must be done manually in Zimbra Collaboration, which we are finding very difficult. They should provide a way to save emails so that you can have more space on the server and storage. Because of the lack of this functionality, we are planning to migrate to Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft Exchange provides a better way to manage storage than Zimbra Collaboration. You cannot have a mail solution without storage management because emails will always increase. Zimbra Collaboration also needs tools for management. More back-office tools are required to manage the whole mailbox and space. You don't only manage emails but also the documents attached to the emails. Therefore, you require tools to select and decide what do you want to save or how do you want to free up space in your infrastructure."
- "Because of the lack of this functionality, we are planning to migrate to Microsoft Exchange."
What is our primary use case?
We are mostly using Zimbra Collaboration for email purposes. It is also a collaborative tool. We also use it for sharing some documents and for meetings.
What is most valuable?
Zimbra Collaboration is light to manage. It works on the Linux operating system, which is far better to manage than Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Exchange works only on the Windows server. We prefer working on the Linux server for security reasons and ease of management.
Zimbra Collaboration also has some integrated tools for security. It some modules to fight malware. These modules are not very powerful but are still doing a great job. Microsoft Exchange doesn't have a basic module. You have to purchase a security solution and add it to the solution.
The cost of Zimbra Collaboration is one more reason for liking it. It is also very simple to migrate from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution.
What needs improvement?
Zimbra must improve its solution to make it easy so that the users don't have to use webmail to connect to their accounts and log in to webmail every time. This is something that is lacking in Zimbra Collaboration. They should provide a better way to easily connect email applications on the desktop to the Zimbra server.
They should also try to have more functionality for storage management, like Microsoft Exchange. Currently, the management of the email data must be done manually in Zimbra Collaboration, which we are finding very difficult. They should provide a way to save emails so that you can have more space on the server and storage. Because of the lack of this functionality, we are planning to migrate to Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft Exchange provides a better way to manage storage than Zimbra Collaboration. You cannot have a mail solution without storage management because emails will always increase.
Zimbra Collaboration also needs tools for management. More back-office tools are required to manage the whole mailbox and space. You don't only manage emails but also the documents attached to the emails. Therefore, you require tools to select and decide what do you want to save or how do you want to free up space in your infrastructure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zimbra Collaboration for almost six years.
How are customer service and technical support?
Zimbra doesn't have good technical support. They are not always available for help, so we have to troubleshoot as much possible by ourselves. It is not easy to find help when we have any incidents.
We have a local partner who is an expert in Zimbra. They really help us by trying their best and doing what they can do. Zimbra support is not always available, so we work only with local support.
How was the initial setup?
Because Zimbra doesn't provide good support, it was difficult for our administration team to handle this solution in the beginning. They had to learn it on their own. The initial setup, however, wasn't really difficult. It was simple.
What about the implementation team?
The teams in charge installed it in a short time with the help of a partner.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zimbra Collaboration is less expensive than Microsoft Exchange. Zimbra works for small companies because it is not expensive.
Zimbra Collaboration has more security tools than Microsoft Exchange. If you are choosing between Zimbra Collaboration and Microsoft Exchange, you have to take into account the cost of security tools with Microsoft Exchange. When you purchase Microsoft Exchange, you will also have to purchase tools for security, which adds to the cost.
The migration from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution is very simple and easy. Migration from Microsoft Exchange to another email solution is very difficult. Microsoft doesn't allow migration that easily. In fact, you have to pay for tools to do that. You have to buy some expensive tools to migrate.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution, but it depends on the size of the company and the cost. The number of emails that you use impacts the cost of the solution.
For a small company, Zimbra Collaboration is good because it is simple, inexpensive, and not very difficult to deploy. For a big company, Microsoft Exchange is good because you have to manage the data, storage, and user emails, and you need a tool that can easily do it for you. Microsoft Exchange provides tools to manage the space and the server. You can create your own policy for emails. For example, you can save emails that are two years old somewhere else. Zimbra Collaboration currently does not have such functionality, and it is something very inconvenient because the emails keep on increasing, and the storage is not unlimited. Therefore, you have to find a way to manage the storage to save all emails and have free space for the new ones. This functionality is really powerful in Microsoft Exchange. That's why for a big company with 1,000 or more users, it's good to have Microsoft Exchange. It, however, also depends on your budget.
I would rate Zimbra Collaboration a seven out of ten. In spite of the lower cost of Zimbra Collaboration as compared to Microsoft Exchange, our management is planning to migrate to Microsoft Exchange because of the issue with storage management.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Zimbra Collaboration
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Zimbra Collaboration. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT admin at ebs
Provides a free version, the configuration is simple, and the guides are easy to read
Pros and Cons
- "The configuration is simple."
- "The product must be more customizable."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for emails.
What is most valuable?
The configuration is simple.
What needs improvement?
The product must be more customizable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is stable. I rate the stability a five out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are 10 to 20 users in our organization.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was moderately difficult. I rate the ease of setup a five out of ten. The deployment took a few days. We have five domains. It was not easy for all the domains. The guides are very good and easy to read.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We use the free version.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also use Nextcloud and Seafile.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Infrastructure & System Administrator at a tech company with 1-10 employees
An affordable and easy-to-deploy product that provides valuable modules
Pros and Cons
- "Network NG Modules are valuable to us."
- "The antispam and antivirus features are hard to understand on mobile devices."
What is our primary use case?
I use the product for the main server.
What is most valuable?
Network NG Modules are valuable to us. They are very high modules. The solution has features that can help administrators and users to manage the server. It is the best tool.
What needs improvement?
The only problem I face with the product is spam. I do not have any other big problems. The antispam and antivirus features are hard to understand on mobile devices. The solution should improve the features to provide more clarity to the users.
For how long have I used the solution?
I am using the solution currently.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable. I rate the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution’s scalability a nine out of ten. It is very scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy for system administrators.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment took one hour.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is not expensive compared to other products. It is cheap.
What other advice do I have?
I know others who use the solution in their organization. I would recommend the tool to others. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Consultant
Straightforward and easy deployment, consistently reliable, with price related advantages
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Zimbra Collaboration is the cost."
- "I would like to see a Microsoft schedule function added."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is for email purposes.
How has it helped my organization?
I would like to see a Microsoft schedule function added. In addition, some additional appearance and convenience features would be nice.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Zimbra Collaboration is the cost.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Zimbra Collaboration for the past three or four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In general, the overall stability is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward and not difficult.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zimbra Collaboration has a better price than Microsoft.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
When you compare it to Microsoft the only major difference is the scheduling and advanced scheduling feature
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Zimbra Collaboration and eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Account Manager at a security firm with 11-50 employees
Helpful support, beneficial pricing structure, and useful backup management
Pros and Cons
- "The backup and storage management features of Zimbra Collaboration are valuable."
- "Zimbra Collaboration could improve the migration from a basic solution to a more containerized solution. For example, the installation should be able to extend to the containers and manage them with some solution, such as OpenShift or Kubernetes."
- "Zimbra is not very stable, but it's okay."
What is our primary use case?
We have customers that are using the on-premise version of Zimbra Collaboration and others are using the cloud.
We Zimbra Collaboration to send and receive email primarily. Additionally, we use it for collaboration, sharing documents, and calendar contacts. It's a solution for massaging and collaboration.
What is most valuable?
The backup and storage management features of Zimbra Collaboration are valuable.
What needs improvement?
Zimbra Collaboration could improve the migration from a basic solution to a more containerized solution. For example, the installation should be able to extend to the containers and manage them with some solution, such as OpenShift or Kubernetes.
The video conference solution Zimbra Connect is a mediocre solution for video conferences. They should make it more similar to Office 365 and add some collaboration with other solutions, such as Alfresco.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zimbra Collaboration for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zimbra Collaboration must work on the high availability of the platform.
I have found Zimbra not to be very stable. If we see in one node, we have a lot of patches and collective principles of security. Zimbra is not very stable, but it's okay. We can see some bugs in the Zimbra Collaboration but they release patches to fix them. For example, in the last patches, they corrected a vulnerability that could have caused an attack with Log4j.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This solution is scalable horizontally and vertically
Zimbra Collaboration is suitable for all sizes of companies, small, medium, and large companies, such as government, industry, and media.
How are customer service and support?
I have been satisfied with the support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Zimbra Collaboration is straightforward. However, we must be the administrators of Linux because we need to have access to the command-line to install it. We cannot install it with the graphic interface. We must have the ability to manage some command line code in the systems of Linux.
The time of the deployment depends on the complexity of the architecture. For example, if we install it in one node, it can take a maximum of one hour. However, when we install in the multi-node system. A complex installation can take over three days.
What about the implementation team?
We provide the services for our customers, the fabric, and the training centers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is low.
The total cost of our projects is low. For example, if we compare Zimbra Collaboration with Microsoft, the license of one account they are probably the same price. However, after the initial licensing, to add more options or use features in the Microsoft solution you must purchase them. In Zimbra, when we buy a license, there are only two levels of license. If we buy the premium license, we have almost all the features activated in our license.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to those wanting to implement Zimbra Collaboration is they will have to have some experience in the manipulation of Linux systems. If there are issues with Zimbra Collaboration there should be someone with experience. If there is no one with experience with the ability to manage Linux systems, you will not be able to troubleshoot any problem in Zimbra Collaboration.
I rate Zimbra Collaboration an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
IT Support Team Leader at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Simple logging and tacking, good technical support, but lacking scalability
Pros and Cons
- "The logs, troubleshooting, and tracking we have found to be the most valuable features, and when we have any issues with lost messages these features are useful because it is very easy to track and log."
- "The installation is not straightforward, it can take two days for the full implementation."
What is our primary use case?
Zimbra Collaboration is useful for small to medium organizations, such as educational institutes, schools, and universities. For big businesses and enterprises, I do not this it is as useful. There are some other useful solutions, such as Office 365 and Google Cloud which would be better suited.
What is most valuable?
The logs, troubleshooting, and tracking we have found to be the most valuable features. We have any issues with lost messages the features are useful. It is very easy to track and log.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zimbra Collaboration for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zimbra Collaboration has been stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found Zimbra Collaboration to be scalable but could improve.
We have approximately 400 to 500 users that use this solution.
We do not have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
I have been satisfied with the technical support from Zimbra Collaboration.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not straightforward, it can take two days for the full implementation.
What about the implementation team?
We used help from an integrator for the implementation.
We have approximately four administrators and engineers that support this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We do not pay for licenses to use this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution for small to medium-scale businesses.
I rate Zimbra Collaboration a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Automatic backup with good web client features for an easily scalable, stable, installable and manageable solution
Pros and Cons
- "One of the most valuable features involves the solution's automatic backup, which I find to be pretty simple and straightforward, and obviates the need for additional software."
- "The product is very stable."
- "It would be great if a group chat feature were created to allow for a team environment."
What is our primary use case?
While I believe that Zimbra nine is the latest update, I am working with eight.
The solution employs open source software.
I implement the solution so that our end user customers may have mailing features, one-on-one chat facilities and unified communication. Within one's email are contained his calendaring facilities.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features involves the solution's automatic backup, which I find to be pretty simple and straightforward, and obviates the need for additional software. The web client features have good graphics and are pretty useful.
What needs improvement?
It would be great if a group chat feature were created to allow for a team environment. The current chatting facility only allows for one-to-one chats.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zimbra Collaboration for nearly two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is very stable. One need only implement it, at which point it does not require further contemplation. Only basic maintenance is required.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is easy to scale. It boasts scalability features such as those allowing an additional server to be added for horizontal scaling.We have encountered no issues in this regard.
How are customer service and support?
We have not required much technical support, as the implementation we do primarily concerns the community edition with which we started. We feel the technical support to be good. They supply good email support. We do not require this at the moment.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Nearly two years back, I was working with Microsoft Exchange.
The advantage of Microsoft Exchange over Zimbra Collaboration is that it is very heavy and has much more features, but its management requires a person to have a greater level of skill. Microsoft is also a more mature solution.
When it comes to the licensing of Zimbra Collaboration, my license covers the servers and I find its terms to be much simpler than those of Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft has multiple requirements, such as one concerning the need for the best OS licenses. There are multiple products needed to get Microsoft Exchange to work, but there is also a standalone option available. The licensing of Zimbra Collaboration is better than that of Microsoft Exchange and it's more affordable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple. As the implementation is pretty simple, a small organization can initially make use of the community edition and move on from there.
What about the implementation team?
The management of the solution is simple. Save for mailbox related issues, the maintenance of the solution is minimal. Issues are limited to comparatively minor ones and mainly would arise at the SMTP end.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When it comes to the licensing of Zimbra Collaboration, my license covers the servers and I find its terms to be much simpler than those of Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft has multiple requirements, such as one concerning the need for the best OS licenses. There are multiple products needed to get Microsoft Exchange to work, but there is also a standalone option available. The licensing of Zimbra Collaboration is better than that of Microsoft Exchange and it's more affordable.
What other advice do I have?
The product is on the client side, so our company provides implementation and support services.
The solution is best suited for medium enterprises, although my organization supports mainly government organizations which range from medium to large.
I rate Zimbra Collaboration as an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technical Consultant at NDS
Has all collaboration features and very good stability and scalability
Pros and Cons
- "It has all collaboration features, such as document sharing, video conferencing, chatting, task sharing, and calendar sharing."
- "Zimbra should provide a desktop client. Right now, we are using a web browser for accessing our emails. There should also be a desktop client."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it as an email server and collaboration suite.
What is most valuable?
It has all collaboration features, such as document sharing, video conferencing, chatting, task sharing, and calendar sharing.
It is awesome in terms of stability and scalability.
What needs improvement?
Zimbra should provide a desktop client. Right now, we are using a web browser for accessing our emails. There should also be a desktop client.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately nine years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Its stability is very good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Its scalability is very good. We have approximately 900 users. We have one person for its maintenance.
How are customer service and support?
Their technical support is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We migrated from IBM Lotus Domino.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are using perpetual licenses. We have deployed it in our local data center, and we buy perpetual licenses on a per-user basis.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Zimbra Collaboration an eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Specialist at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Fast, reliable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "A lot of other products like Microsoft Exchange offer email or collaboration features, but they are not as fast as Zimbra."
- "I think Zimbra is more reliable and competitive than Microsoft because they offer an open-source version."
- "I can confidently say that Zimbra is good enough for 2,000 client users. But, at the same time, if my client needs more than that and we have two options—Zimbra or Microsoft—I'm going with Microsoft because many admins will speak to Microsoft's ability to handle that many."
What is most valuable?
Zimbra is open source. They got absorbed by Yahoo, but they're still primarily open-source and have continued to extend their technology. A lot of other products like Microsoft Exchange offer email or collaboration features, but they are not as fast as Zimbra. And with Exchange, it's not easy to purchase the license. And Zimbra is more reliable in terms of integration.
What needs improvement?
Yahoo acquired Zimbra, and Yahoo Mail is a web-based email, not a software platform. So as part of the acquisition, they have to continue providing support to the open-source license holders. But lately, they have decreased their support for the open-source community, and they're pivoting to the enterprise market. So they're starting to transition to a proprietary cloud-based solution. And when they adopt this proprietary solution, it won't be good. So hopefully, in the future, they'll continue to offer an open-source version. That's what makes Zimbra trustworthy for users as an email host. Email is still essential for communities and businesses. Even if you are currently using instant messaging or any communications tool, you still need email.
Maybe Zimbra can improve by implementing an architecture that mimics social media, like offering short messages instead of just email. Instant messaging can mean light messaging or group messaging, like a B2B chat or something like that.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Zimbra for about four or five years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Zimbra is roughly as scalable as Microsoft, but I haven't deployed Zimbra for any huge clients yet. For example, all of my clients have fewer than 2,000 users. So if they had more than 2,000, I couldn't say whether Zimbra could manage that or not. But I know that Microsoft can work with clients that serve 10,000-plus users.
So in my experience, I can confidently say that Zimbra is good enough for 2,000 client users. But, at the same time, if my client needs more than that and we have two options—Zimbra or Microsoft—I'm going with Microsoft because many admins will speak to Microsoft's ability to handle that many.
How was the initial setup?
It's easy for me because I have worked with Zimbra concepts since Yahoo acquired it in 2007, but I can't speak for the average users.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Zimbra Collaboration eight out of 10. It stacks up well compared to OWA or Microsoft Exchange. I've developed solutions for my clients using all of these. And compared to other web applications, I prefer the web-hosted Zimbra. I think Zimbra is more reliable and competitive than Microsoft because they offer an open-source version.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zimbra Collaboration Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2026
Product Categories
Email ApplicationsPopular Comparisons
Google Workspace
Microsoft Exchange Online
Microsoft Exchange
Amazon WorkMail
ProtonMail
Open-Xchange
KerioConnect
Zoho Mail
HCL Notes
HCL Verse
OpenText GroupWise
Superhuman
iMail Server
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zimbra Collaboration Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- How does Zimbra Collaboration compare with Microsoft Exchange?
- When evaluating Email Applications, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- What should I look for when choosing an email solution for my company?
- What is the best choice for email?
- Which solution should we choose? - IceWarp, Zentyal, UCS, Collax, Scalix, Zimbra or Kollab?
- Why is Email Applications important for companies?














